Chiba University team explores converting cuttlefish ink into bioplastic

In Japan, researchers at Chiba University have converted melanin sourced from cuttlefish ink into a bioplastic.

“From a resource perspective, the melanin concentrated in the ink sacs of cuttlefish and squid is easily recoverable natural melanin, said Associate Professor Michinari Kohri from the Graduate School of Engineering, who led the study. “The catch of squid and octopus has been increasing yearly and hovering around three million tons for the past few years,” said Dr. Kohri.

Kohri’s team also analyzed the decomposition of both artificially and naturally sourced melanin to evaluate their potentials for upcycling. They researchers found that both artificial and natural melanin were decomposed into pyrrole derivatives containing carboxylic acids. This suggests that melanin derived from other renewable and easily accessible sources, such as insect exoskeletons, animal hair, or melanin-producing microorganisms, could be equally useful as a chemical precursor. 

The work was published recently in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.